ATLANTA – The Phillies won’t lose 90 games this season – that much was secured when Jimmy Rollins made a diving, game-saving stop and throw to get Chris Johnson at first and close out a 5-4 win over the Braves at Turner Field.

“He has come on strong to finish the season,” Sandberg said of Rollins, who had two hits and scored two runs.”The whole month he has shown improvement. He is doing some things that were asked to better his game, and he’s getting improvement with that.”

When it came to the game-saving play, Sandberg joked, “Knowing (Rollins), he probably wanted to get the game over with there. He probably didn’t want to go overtime.That was a heck of a play.”

That play allowed $50 million closer Jonathan Papelbon to avoid a humbling after a three-run home run by Justin Upton got Atlanta within a run and a single and walk to the next two batters put the winning run on base.

Papelbon struggled at times this year, and his fastball, which used to be steadily in the mid 90s, has dropped in velocity. He also uses it less often. Then again, Papelbon has been pitching less often for a team going nowhere.

The veteran, whose demeanor has been a reflection of the quality of the team’s play, groused at questions about his velocity.

“I guess you guys think I’m not throwing hard, huh?” he said. “I don’t know, maybe. I don’t think it really matters. It’s velocity at the plate, life at the plate. It’s not how hard it comes out of your hand, it’s what it does near the plate.

“I think if you do anything and don’t get regular work in, it’s tougher to do. That goes for shooting darts or throwing a baseball.”

Despite the late sweat, the Phillies did put the Braves (95-66) at risk of losing full home-field advantage in the National League playoffs to the Cardinals (96-65).

Cesar Hernandez had a career-high four hits, but the switch-hitting leadoff man has been the exception and not the rule when it comes to stamina of the Phillies’ young players as September rolls to a close.

They Phillies had 13 hits, but they went without a home run for the 10th straight game, the longest such streak for the franchise since going 11 in a row in 1989.

Cody Asche is closing what had been a pretty impressive internship for the 2014 starting third baseman’s job in a 2-for-31 funk that has dropped his average from .273 to .235. Darin Ruf has had just three long balls in his last 104 at-bats after racking up 11 in his first 147 at-bats when he was called up in early July.

These are players competing for roster spots for an organization whose general manager expressed a desire to shake up the roster as much as necessary to avoid a repeat of this, the Phillies’ worst season since 2000.

Sandberg has been watching the mid- and late-season call ups, trying to decide who can be of use, be it as a starter, a platoon player or a bench performer.

“I think that’s all up in the air,” he said before the game. “For me, Freddy Galvis is a major-league defender. I’ve seen some improvements (offensively) with some good at-bats. I think he’s done a nice job for himself and made a nice showing.

“I would say there are going to be a lot of decisions to be made and a lot of competition in spring training for jobs. We’ll see what happens over the offseason. My advice for the guys is to be ready for what opportunities are there in the spring. From Day 1 in Clearwater, be in shape and ready to go to win a job.”

Cameron Rupp, who wasn’t even the Phils’ top catching prospect entering the season, had a two-run single in the first inning and added a double later in the game. He could be in line to be the backup catcher in 2014.

Otherwise, the most interesting happenings involved the pitchers, as Ethan Martin worked three solid innings in a bullpen game with Roy Halladay sidelined. Luis Garcia, Mike Stutes, Jake Diekman and B.J. Rosenberg worked five shutout innings.

Then the veteran – the guy who is supposed to be the sure thing at the back of the ‘pen – nearly blew it.

Of course, that has been the calling card for the 2013 Phillies – never cranking on all cylinders, no one truly dependable.

When asked where the Phillies are headed, Papelbon responded, stone-faced.